Stay patient.

All of these were in the 2011-2013 time period so they may not be exactly relevant to you if you're looking today.There are still plenty of good deals around in small multis I think if you're patient.

Even if they are just really bad at paperwork, I can't let their problem become entirely mine while they walk away free and clear after getting half rent while I eat a $6k sandwich.I have been very patient but they keep extending the moratorium, their lease is up beginning of August, and the 60-day notice required will burn through the deposit as I'm sure they will stop paying entirely if i decline to renew the lease.General thoughts?

A smart, patient investor can find what they are looking for, what they define as successful investing, in any market and in any climate.  

The important lesson I learn is to be patient and not pushy about pressing real estate investing onto him, but just casually talking about it here and there while letting him exploring other things out there.   

I like to put them in service and collect payments and never worry about them. or have to deal with the trustor or mortgagor other than to send in a payoff demand statement and sign a reconveyance or satisfaction.

Many doctors will not talk to the patient at all until the patient takes the time to let a nurse run vitals, and fill out a zillion forms, you can do the same in your mortgage practice if you wish to structure it that way.At all four points above the advantage is slightly in the hands of the borrowers, but as long as the same rules apply to first-time homebuyers as to experienced REI, with lenders being the more experienced and seasoned party in all cases anyways, I think that's overall pretty fair.

Just as a strategic plan for a business is supposed to maximize long-term shareholder value, a career plan for an individual is supposed to maximize lifelong personal satisfaction.

I'm a big fan of MailChimp. they have consistently taken a user centric product design approach that leads to greater levels of user satisfaction... https://mailchimp.com/

Be patient in getting through to the right "customer service" agent.